Auditor ‘shocked’ by $71 million grant for charter schools
Ohio Auditor Dave Yost said he’s shocked that the federal Department of Education gave Ohio a $71 million charter-school grant, given the state’s poor track record at ensuring that charters don’t misspend tax dollars.
“I figured we would be a couple of years away from being able to get back into contention for federal money,” Yost said on Friday, noting that a package of charter-reform bills stalled in the legislature this summer and still haven’t become law.
The state hasn’t received federal charter-school grant money in recent years “because the feds didn’t think we were the best of the best,” Yost said.
He said his office will be watching.
“My concern is that it is well-spent with proper monitoring. We’re going to haul out the microscope on this. We’re going to have active observation.”
The Dispatch reported this week that draft grant-application documents released by the department last month show that they described Ohio as a beacon of charter oversight. A few days later, David Hansen, the state official leading the grant effort, resigned for scrubbing data to make charter sponsors look better than they were.
Asked this week if the U.S. Department of Education was aware of the circumstances surrounding Hansen’s resignation, the department’s spokeswoman, Dorie Turner Nolt, said the competition was scored by independent peer reviewers who don’t work for the department.
But she said the department did put conditions on the grant.
“The department reviewed Ohio’s administrative structure and past performance with other federal grants, which is what led to the state having special conditions placed on its new grant,” Nolt said in an email. “Those conditions include requiring the state to submit quarterly reports on its grant activities and budget.
“We will continue to monitor Ohio — and all grantees — to ensure they are serving children well."
Yost, a Republican, said his office requested a copy of the state’s application for the federal grant, prepared under Hansen’s leadership, so he could determine what the state intends to spend the money on, but the department hasn’t provided it.
The Dispatch asked both the state and federal departments for the final application earlier this week but had received nothing by Friday evening. Ohio Department of Education spokeswoman Kim Norris said Friday afternoon that the request was still being processed by the department’s legal counsel.
“We are certainly proud to have this opportunity to have this grant in Ohio and intend to be completely transparent and accountable with Auditor ‘shocked’ by $71 million grant for charter schools | The Columbus Dispatch:
Big Education Ape: Ohio Congressman questions Arne Duncan’s $32 million charter grant - The Washington Post http://bit.ly/1Obugmz
